White cards aim to ease law enforcement interaction with mentally ill in Butte County

A better system for responding to calls involving people in a psychotic crisis is in the cards for local law enforcement agencies, in the hopes to stop unintentionally criminalizing the mentally ill.

The countywide "white card" project will allow people to voluntarily obtain a free photo identification card that will list information like their diagnosis, medication and contact numbers for their next of kin, said Cathy Gurney, president of the National Alliance on Mental Illness. It would also include a person's triggers, like the sound of sirens, or "If you get too close, I get violent."

The main purpose of the white cards is for people to be able to present them to law enforcement members or first responders to provide some context if the ID holder is in crisis.

The idea to bring the cards to Butte County was introduced by Butte County Sheriff's Office Capt. Andy Duch.

He recalled seeing a man on the freeway who looked like he needed help, he said during a phone interview. Duch stopped to check on him and the man pulled out the laminated ID card.

"I remember thinking, 'This is handy'," he said.

Officers deal with people with mental illness quite often — deputies respond to about 1,000 calls a year directly involving someone with a mental illness — and there is room for improvement, Duch said.

Duch brought the concept to the Critical Incident Team committee, which has members from Enloe Medical Center, Butte County law enforcement agencies, first responders and the Butte County Behavioral Health Department, Gurney said.

CIT, which has the goal to improve interaction for people experiencing a psychiatric crisis, has been working on the project for months and has developed prototypes that were handed out, but the goal is to officially distribute the cards by mid-December.

Gurney said about 200 cards were given out through the Behavioral Health Department during the testing.

When people are given the cards, they receive an explanation on how to use it, Gurney said. They're taught things like telling an officer they have a white card before attempting to reach into their pockets. The CIT committee will also be establishing rules and regulations around the cards.

During the experimental stage, project organizers learned a lot of valuable and interesting information.

"We found out talking to customers, that the part that they liked the most was the back," Duch said.

The back of the cards have the shoulder patches of all the participating law enforcement agencies.

The fact there were law enforcement patches made them feel less stigmatized, Duch said. They said they felt that someone legitimized their mental illness. It was unintended, but a good outcome, he added.

After months of planning and testing, the goal for a December launch was set after the Butte County Deputy Sheriff's Association donated $500 to pay for a specialized printer that can make the plastic cards.

The money was presented to Gurney on Wednesday since NAMI will be initially responsible for handing out the cards. NAMI is still fundraising to purchase an iPad to make the operation mobile.

The Butte County Sheriff's Office has a long-standing commitment to helping those with mental illness and is a good partner and collaborator of NAMI and the Behavioral Health Department, Undersheriff Kory Honea said. It was a natural extension.

Honea said he's proud of the actions of the deputies' group.

The DSA stepped up and donated their own money to something that has value, he said. It's an example that being a deputy is not just a job to them. They (deputies) live here and see value in serving this population.

"They don't pat themselves on the back enough," Gurney said.

This was a great opportunity to be a partner with NAMI and reach out to the underserved in the community, Phil Wysocki, sheriff's deputy and secretary of the association, said.

"It keeps them and us safe as well," he said.

Association treasurer Patrick Martin agreed, saying the cards will be a "win all around."

"It will lessen misunderstandings and the use of force," he said.

It's not a crime to be mentally ill, Duch said. The cards are intended to help decriminalize mental illness and generate a conversation between the parties involved.

"It's a shame to think that it would be needed, but it is," he said.

Once the cards are widely available, people can obtain one at NAMI's office, 6 Governors Lane. A couple of times a week they'll be available at the Iversen Center, 260 Cohasset Road, and NAMI will have the system at various community events. The Sheriff's Office will also be looking to offer the service at its headquarters in Oroville.

Gurney is already receiving many phone calls about the project, she said. The word is getting around. This project is "monumental."